How to Connect with the Motivated Seller: Phone Scripts & Tips

Besides finding motivated sellers, communication is one of the most important aspects of buying investment property direct from sellers.

Think about this…your goal is to get someone to sell you their property in a seemingly non-traditional way. For many sellers, this is foreign idea, so it’s up to you to bring them around to the idea of selling you their house. Your job now is to start the relationship building process, gather information, qualify them as a good potential seller and take the next step –make the offer.

Use the calls scripts for outgoing calls, incoming calls and voicemail

How to Connect with Motivated Sellers

Ultimately throughout your interactions, you want connect with prospective home sellers in a way that makes your interest in buying their property trustworthy, viable, easy and most important, a real solution to their problem property.

Your First Phone Contact – Making the Connection a Motivated Seller

PinPoint Profits provides you with a direct source of motivated sellers. But remember, the idea of selling a house directly to a real estate investor is new for most people. As you begin your communications, remember how important it is to make a great initial impression while also gathering key information.

The goal in your earliest conversations is to not only establish connection and rapport; it’s to gather key information that tells you if the property is worth pursuing and if you are able to solve the problems with their property.

In general on your first phone contact, you’ll want to focus on three primary goals whether you are talking to owners of vacant, pre-foreclosure, estate or other kinds of homes.

The 3 Building Blocks of Your Motivated Seller Conversation

1. THE INTRODUCTION

Keep it simple, professional and conversational. Initially, the main goal is to spark their interest in you and keep them on the phone. Plus you will begin to establish credibility.

Hello, this is [your name] with XYZ Home Buyers. We’re local home BUYERS here in [name your area]. I’m wondering if [owner’s name] is available? I was hoping to speak with (him/her) about buying property in your area.

Use your name and always include the name of your business

Give a brief description of what you do – and connect it to the local area to establish familiarity.

Include a friendly “ask” and state your business. When you have a warm lead, your friendly ask will open the door to continue the conversation.

TIP: Don’t be “that” caller. You know the one. “Hi, this Drew with XYZ Homebuyers. How are you today?” This approach does two negative things. It breaks up your introduction and ability to quickly get their interest. Plus it makes you sound like a rookie telemarketer. Think about your own reaction when you get a similar call. Most likely you wonder who is interrupting you and what “pitch” is coming next. Don’t be that caller.

2.THE DISCOVERY

Once the conversation is initiated, keep it friendly and conversational and continue to add to familiarity and credibility. This is a discovery phase for both you and your seller. There is key information you need to gather, but it doesn’t all have to be done in this first contact. After your introduction, try something like this.

Hi, [seller’s name]. Thanks for taking a minute to talk to me. Again, my name is [your name]. Do you or someone you know have an interest in selling a house? We’re local investors looking to buy several homes over the next couple of months – and we particularly like your area.

Interweave a few questions while having a normal conversation. Remember, you’re talking to a person who may be very interested in selling their property. Keep the conversation flowing while asking questions and furthering your connection. As you become even more comfortable with seller phone calls, you’ll find questions and commentary that work best for you and your style of communicating.

Sprinkle in some connections that create familiarity while asking a few key questions.

Oh, sure I know that area well. I went to school near there. How long have you lived over there?

Don’t be afraid of off-ramps – they can strengthen the connection. If a seller mentions something you can comment or connect upon, do so. For example, sports, hobbies, military service, schools, pets… just about any topic can become an off-ramp to further the conversation and your connection to the seller.

You want to move to where you’ll have more room to roam? I understand that, [seller’s name]. I have two dogs that would play ball all day if they could. What kind of dogs do you have?

Be complimentary without being condescending.

That’s a great area. I have rental property near there – it’s so close to downtown (or “We renovated a house over on 5th St near there.”). Why are you thinking of moving?

Repeat the seller’s name, but don’t overdo it. It comes off fake when you overdo it.

As you become more comfortable with seller conversations, you’ll be able to easily flow from conversation to questions. Before you end your call, be sure to “qualify” the seller to fully determine their interest in selling.

3.QUALIFYING

Once you’ve asked a few questions about them, their property and their situation, you want to determine their level of interest in selling and working with you. Plus you need to know more to determine if the prospect is worth your time and effort.

This is called “qualifying” the lead. Sadly, not all leads are good leads, so qualifying helps narrow your focus on the best leads.

If you don’t fully qualify your leads early on, you’ll waste a lot of time with people who will never sell you their house. But be cautious. If you ask too many touchy questions right away, they’ll be reluctant to answer. Listen carefully to how the seller responds and adjust your approach.

Qualifying Questions to Ask Motivated Sellers

Avoid yes or no questions. Instead use open-ended questions that get explanations. This helps clarify their intentions and urgency.

“If I could make you an offer in the next couple of days, how would that work for you?”

“What’s prompting you to do something about selling now?”

“What issues are you facing right now that you think I might be able to help with? “

“How long have you been thinking of selling? What held you back so far?”

“What would I need to do to be able to make you an offer to buy your house?”

“If you don’t sell, what will you do?”

“In the ideal situation, when would you want to move?”

“We can close on your timeline. How soon would you like to sell?”

“Based on what you’ve learned so far, do you think we could be a viable solution for you?”

“When do you need a solution for this?”

“Have you tried to solve this problem in the past? If so, why didn’t that solution work?”

Think About This

How can qualifying questions further your conversation and give you info you need to determine if it’s a good fit?

What could the seller’s answer tell you about their mindset, sense of urgency and willingness to sell their house to you?

Begin Gathering Financial Info

When appropriate, it’s also helpful to get some background on the financials and the property. When the rubber hits the road, it’s the numbers on the property that determine if your prospect has a property that you should continue pursuing.

“What would you ask for your house today if you could sell it?”

“Is there a mortgage to pay off when you sell it? Is it current?”

“What can you tell me about the house?”

“What kind of upgrades have been done recently?”

“What hurdles could crop up and derail this?”

“What other options are you thinking of?”

What If They Don’t Want To Sell?

When the owner isn’t ready to sell, it doesn’t mean they never want to sell. You’re well served to follow up with contacts. When a prospect is really good…but the timing isn’t right, stay in touch. Add value in your prospects eyes with every follow up – demonstrate your credibility, interest and availability to work with them. Before you end the call, get as much contact information as possible and stay in touch using a variety of methods

Motivated Seller Phone Scripts

Rather than reinvent the wheel or wing it when it comes to preparing to speak with motivated sellers, CLICK HERE to get tried and true phone scripts.

Penny Myers

Penny is a long-time investor and a key contributor to the Connected Investors Blog.

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